I am a unicorn: a rare girl comic reader who is hard to find unless you have your eyes open at any comic book convention. (Yes, I know about DC’s research that only 7% of their comic readers are women, but having worked in market research for years I can tell you with a decent amount of confidence that their statistics were fucked, seriously fucked.) So to help with the study and conservation of this (not at all) rare breed of geek, I give you this unicorn’s pull list.
Wonder Woman
While I haven’t liked all the choices they have made with this book, it is incredibly well-written and the art is fantastic. Watching the Greek gods be their petty, selfish selves while toying with humans’ lives is fascinating and Diana is one of the better-written female characters in the Nu52 universe. This is one of the few books to pull me away from Gotham.
Batgirl
Gail Simone could write a post-it and I would read it: her writing Barbara Gordon again is one of the best things to come out of the DC reboot. (Note: I said Barbara Gordon- I vastly prefer her as Oracle, but when it comes to female superheroes we take what we can get.) Barbara’s recovery was handled with the sensitivity it deserved, which was a big concern to me. Babs isn’t taking crap from the boys in the Bat-family, and she even gets Bruce to have a little fun. This book keeps surprising me it the best possible ways and I’m going to stop this paragraph before I get even more gushing fangirl than I already have.
Batwoman
If there is a book out now that is more beautiful, smart, and scary than Batwoman, let me know and I will read it. This book is fantastic and it gives a perspective of Gotham that characters that are more directly tied to the Bat-family and their drama can’t.
Birds of Prey
All female team of superheroes (maybe antiheroes is the more correct term here)? I’m in.
Teen Titans
It’s me. I’m the person who likes Teen Titans. I admit it. I have a soft spot in my heart for teen superheroes. I can’t help it. Plus Bunker is phenomenal and I will bare-knuckle box anyone who says otherwise.
Batman Beyond
Future teenage Batman? Cranky old Batman watching teenage Batman’s every move and yelling at him? Future Gotham? How could I not?
Young Justice
The Young Justice cartoon is one of my favorite shows currently. While you don’t need to read the comic to enjoy the show, it fleshes out the universe.
Suicide Squad
I love needless, reckless violence. LOVE IT. Lots of violence, bad guys working for a shady government organization for the good of the country, anyone can die, just enough plot to string the action together, and Harley Quinn (even if I hate her costume)? Done. Reading this book is like watching Die Hard.
Catwoman
This is my dirty comics secret. I read Catwoman every month even though I don’t really enjoy it. Selina Kyle is my favorite character and I desperately want this comic to be good, but it’s not. Judd Winick is the Joker to my Harley Quinn- I keep coming back even though good books are RIGHT THERE and I’d be happier if I just stopped. After reading issue 8 I told my husband “I think this is getting better. Or maybe my expectations have been successfully lowered… I think my expectations have been successfully lowered.” If you are going to read this book (and I can’t in good conscious recommend it) , I suggest vodka.
Danger Club
I know there only has been one issue so far, but that issue was phenomenal, which totally made me feel better about the fact that I wanted to read this book because the preview showed a kid with an eyepatch smoking a cigar. Reading what happens to the sidekicks when the heroes go to fight evil and don’t come back is brilliant and I can’t believe I have to wait to read the next issue. It is completely unfair.
I should mention that I really liked the Huntress mini and have every intention of picking up Worlds’ Finest (I am so excited that a book traditionally about Batman and Superman will be about Huntress and Power Girl). But it doesn’t go on the list because it’s not out yet. I may pick up Earth 2 because they’re in it- but any universe where Selina Kyle and Lois Lane are dead is not a universe for me.
Any suggestions for books I should be reading? Want to tell me off for liking Teen Titans? Taking me up for my offer to bare-knuckle box? (Seriously? You’re wrong. Bunker is awesome.) Meet me in the comments section.
